Which Washington Commanders news stories are hitting the headlines as the dust finally settles on a dramatic 2023 trade deadline?
The shock has finally worn off after the Washington Commanders made two bombshell trades just before the 2023 deadline. It's been easy to forget there is a football game to focus on this weekend, which sees Ron Rivera's men look to end a concerning run of recent results at the New England Patriots in Week 9.
Until then, the stories causing conversation include Ron Rivera's reasoning, Sam Howell's relief, Montez Sweat's fresh start, and Chase Young getting a glowing recommendation from his new employers.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Commanders QB Sam Howell's relief
Amid all the trade talk during a frantic Halloween was the potential to move veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett. According to multiple reports, calls were made to inquire about the signal-caller once it became apparent that the Washington Commanders were selling, but their asking price of a Day 2 pick put off organizations such as the Minnesota Vikings from pulling the trigger.
While there was a strong case to move Brissett given how well second-year gunslinger Sam Howell is performing, there was clear relief on QB1's part to see his teammate stick around based on comments via Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
"He's helped me a lot since he's been here. I'm super fortunate to have a guy like that, who's super willing to help me. … I'm happy he's here, and I'm happy we get to finish this year together. … I go into the game more confident knowing he's there to help me."Sam Howell via X/Twitter
It's unlikely Brissett will see the field unless injury strikes. However, he remains an integral part of Howell's development behind the scenes during game-week preparations.
Commanders HC Ron Rivera's reasoning
The Washington Commanders sent shockwaves through the NFL on Tuesday. Many thought that they would end up dealing one of their star defensive ends, but to trade Montez Sweat and Chase Young was an absolute stunner in no uncertain terms.
Reports seem to suggest Washington was keen to keep Sweat before the Chicago Bears came in with an offer they couldn't refuse. Young was shipped out for pennies on the dollar, which inevitably came with unnamed sources speculating why this proved to be the case.
When discussing the trades during his highly-anticipated media availability on Wednesday, Rivera stated that it was a chance to restock based on comments via John Keim of ESPN. The head coach added that this is a good opportunity to get a longer look at those further down the pecking order.
"We have an opportunity to go out and play well. I do think there's every opportunity in front of us. … It's an opportunity to see what else we have. It's an opportunity to go out and win football games using different guys. I've gone through this before. Do we have that opportunity? I think this is what this is. It's the same kind of opportunity."Ron Rivera via ESPN
Rivera is right in the sense that James Smith-Williams, Efe Obada, and Casey Toohill have a big chance in front of them with the spotlight glaring. And there is a quiet confidence in their ability to step in and ensure no real momentum is lost.
Montez Sweat's fresh start
It was a difficult decision to trade Montez Sweat. One the Washington Commanders weren't necessarily going to make before the Chicago Bears came swooping in with a second-round selection - currently the No. 37 overall pick - to get this deal over the line.
This was seen as steep compensation for a team going nowhere fast in 2023. However, the Bears are likely going to have two top-five selections in 2024 after trading the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers next spring, and those in power also feel pretty confident that a long-term extension can be reached.
While Sweat is letting other people handle that based on comments via Chicago's website, the defensive end was delighted to be getting a fresh start - albeit on a team with a worse record than the Commanders through eight weeks.
"I'm grateful, blessed, happy to be here. I'm just happy to be here and ready to get to work. I think I'm a very strong, hard-working, tenacious player who just really wants to get better every day. I know I've still got a long way to go, but I'm happy to be the player I am. I'm sure my agents are talking about it. My agents and them are talking about something. But I'm not really in any of it right now. I'm just ready to get to work. Obviously, a player always wants to have security playing the sport that we're playing, but I mean I'm sure everything will work itself out."Montez Sweat via ChicagoBears.com
Sweat is going to help the Bears enormously. For the future, it gives the Commanders another potentially high-end draft selection as part of their mini-rebuild under Josh Harris' ownership group.
49ers on Chase Young trade decision
Chase Young's bright start to the season ignited just enough interest for the Washington Commanders to get something back in return for a once-generational talent taken No. 2 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. A compensatory third-round selection was seen as grand larceny by many, although some other mitigating factors in play played a role in his departure.
Young gets a fresh start and the Commanders get the chance to see if others can step up before making long-term plans. When discussing the trade, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch stated via The Spun that this was the best deal they could get in pursuit of filling a huge need.
"I felt like it was the best deal to be had. We had a number of conversations, and we’ve always been of the philosophy that it starts up front, and that was the deal that made the most sense for us. In the NFL, you’ve got to earn the right to rush the passer, and you do that by playing the run well, and we’ve not been good enough there. So I think when we start doing the little things right, that gives you the opportunities, and ultimately, I think we’re going to get this thing right and all those things. But that definitely is true. We’ve got to shore that up. It starts with stopping the run, and we haven’t been doing that well enough, so we got to do that. And then we got ample ability and options as pass rushers to start to pull this together."John Lynch via The Spun
Placing Young on a defensive front that also includes Javon Hargrave, Nick Bosa, and Arik Armstead comes with mouth-watering potential. More importantly, the Ohio State product should be highly motivated after questions about his work ethic and character came to light in the trade's immediate aftermath.